Grand father could never resist buying unusual pets. One day he bought a young four foot python from the snake charmer in the bazaar. Grand mother was tolerent of some birds and animals. She drew the line at reptiles. Seeing the python, she cried, "It will strangle you to leath. Get rid of it at once. 'Nonsense!' said grand father. 'He's only a young fellow, he'll soon get used to us. 'He might, indeed, 'said grand mother. But if have no intention of getting used to him and you know your cousin Mabel is coming to stay with us tomorrow she'll leave the minute, she knows there's a snake in the house. 00 'Well, perhaps we sho show it to her as soon as she arrives', said grand father who did not look forward to the visit of relatives! 'You'll do no such thing', said grand mother, 'Look the thing in the bathroom, then go and find the man you bought it from and return it to him.' After searching the bazaar, grand father returned without finding the snake charmer. He decided to feed the python before leaving him in the jungle. Grand father opened the bathroon door and stepped in side. He could not see the python anywhere. 'He couldn't have gone far', said grand mother. 'Look under the tub'. He looked under the tub, but the python was not there. Then grand father went to the window. 'We left it open', he said 'He must have gone this way'. A careful search was made of the house, the kitchen and the garden, but the python could not be found anywhere. Aunt Mabel arrived the next day. For two days there was no sign of the python. When he didn't appear for the third day we felt sure that he had gone for good. And then towards evening, we were started by a scream from the garden. Seconds later Aunt Mabel came charging in a guava tree. She gasped a snake! My grand parents exchanged glances and grand father said, "I'll go out and kill it." When he reached the guava tree the python was gone. Aunt Mabel must have frightened away. I said 'Hush' said grand father 'we must n't speak of your aunt in that way' But his eyes were alive with laughter. After this incident, the python made an appearance off and on in front of Aunt Mabel When one day she saw the python emerge from beneath a cushion Aunt Mabel packed her bags and left.
The hunt for the snake continued. One morning I saw the python curled up on the dressing table gazing at his own reflection in the mirror. By the time I fetched grand father the python had left. Next he was seen in the garden and one day we saw him crawling up the ladder to the roof. Then we found him on the dressing table a second time admiring himself in the mirror. Evidently, he was fascinated by his own reflection. 'He's trying to look better for Aunt Mabel 1 said. I regretted this remark because grand mother heard and held up my pocket money for the rest of the week. Grand father said, 'The python is becoming vain. It should be easier to catch him. Grand father made a large cage with a mirror and put several tasty bits of food inside it. The opening was fitted with a trapdoor. For a few days nothing happened. And then, as I was leaving for school one morning, I saw the python in the cage. He had eaten everything left out for him and was curled up in front of the mirror with something that resembled a smile on his face. Grand father put the cage in a tonga and took it to the jungle. Opening the trapdoor he left the cage in the jungle. When he went away, the python made an attempt to get out. "I didn't have the heart to take the mirror away from him" said grand father, "It's the first time I've seen a snake fall in love."
-By Ruskin Bond
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